Favorite Origami Books

This is a list of books that I've enjoyed over many years. I started doing origami when I was only 5, at a time when decent origami books were very hard to come by. Nowadays we are lucky to have such a wide selection - even too wide a selection. Publishers often put out so-called 'beginner' books or origami 'kits' that are just terrible. You can waste a lot of money on those things before realizing how awful they are. At the same time, finding a bookstore with a good origami section to browse through can also be a real problem. Often they have too few books, or a bunch of bad books, because their purchasing manager just doesn't care about origami.

The books listed below will not disappoint you. They are books I have read and re-read many times over the years - or else are new books that have erotic origami content. I'm very happy to present them all here for you.

Books With Underground Content

	Erotic Origami by Marc Kirschenbaum: This book was a long time coming. Er, you know what I mean. I mean it's an excellent book by a master of the craft, who has turned his attention to erotic themes. Samples of his work can be found on this site, but the diagrams in the book are much more professionally done.
	Pornogami by Master Sugoi: A wonderful book of erotic origami. Some of these models are on the Origami Underground, but many aren't; and the presentation is very nice, with easy-to-follow diagrams of penises, vaginas, breasts, condoms, handcuffs, and more. A great book.
	Very Naughty Origami by Nick Robinson: A beautifully put together book of erotic origami, with well done diagrams and great photographs. Some of the models are on Origami Underground and some are not. All are very creative and clever designs, in a truly fantastic book.
	Brilliant Origami by David Brill: A very lovely set of models, best wetfolded. Brill's models are just beautiful, such as the family of lions, the elephant, and the rhino. But he also has some funny ones like the exhibitionist (a man opens his coat), and some other fun ones like the eyeglasses, the spelling book, the nut and bolt, and the match box (complete with matches).
	Flip-Flopped: A Novel by Jill Smolinski: A romantic comedy in which part of the story centers around an erotic origami auction and the theft of one of the models.
	Kokigami: Performance Enhancing Adornments for the Adventurous Man by Burton Silver and Busch Heather: Some amusing paper puppets for putting on the penis.
	Origami to Astonish and Amuse by Jeremy Shafer: A very funny book, with over 400 models, many of which defy categorization. The author has shattered many boundaries with this book, creating some of the most exciting models around, including the transvestite puppet, and the couple having sex (or dancing, as he presents them).

Simple Books

	Pornogami by Master Sugoi: A wonderful book of erotic origami. Some of these models are on the Origami Underground, but many aren't; and the presentation is very nice, with easy-to-follow diagrams of penises, vaginas, breasts, condoms, handcuffs, and more. A great book.
	Very Naughty Origami by Nick Robinson: A beautifully put together book of erotic origami, with well done diagrams and great photographs. Some of the models are on Origami Underground and some are not. All are very creative and clever designs, in a truly fantastic book.
	Bringing Origami to Life by John Montroll: This is a good companion to Teach Yourself Origami. Although the models can be folded in the usual way, Montroll elucidates the technique of 'wetfolding', which can be used to create very lifelike, beautiful models. The models in this book, unlike Montroll's others, are also specifically designed to be wetfolded.
	Dollar Bill Animals in Origami by John Montroll: a whole bunch of fairly simple and intermediate models that can be folded out of dollar bills. Excellent for leaving tips. Almost every model is really excellent. Some highlights are the unicorn, the cow, the rhinoceros, and the camel.
	Essential Origami by Steve and Megumi Biddle: A very nice book for beginners, that encourages origami inventiveness by introducing some of the foundational bases, such as the kite, fish, waterbomb and bird bases, and showing how these can be used to create increasingly complex models.
No image available	The Great International Paper Airplane Book by Jerry Mander, George Dippel, and Howard Luck Gossage: I had this book as a child and it's still in print, and still just as wonderful as ever. In addition to instructions and crease patterns (!) for lots of great planes, this book has some wonderful and appreciative text on the history and art of paper airplane making.
	Origami Hearts by Francis Ow: This out-of-print book should be revived. If you can find a copy available for less than $50.00, consider getting it. It contains many pretty and creative ways to say "I love you" in origami. Lately, some people have been trying to sell it for over $200, which is way too much. Its value is not as a rarity in a plastic sleeve, but as something useful and fun.
	Teach Yourself Origami by John Montroll: This is one of the best books I've found for beginners. It assumes no experience at all, and introduces each idea patiently and completely, leading all the way up to very complex models. Anyone who goes through this book will be able to fold model's of any complexity, including the models here on the Origami Underground.

Intermediate Books

	Kokigami: Performance Enhancing Adornments for the Adventurous Man by Burton Silver and Busch Heather: Some amusing paper puppets for putting on the penis.
	Mythological Creatures and the Chinese Zodiac in Origami by John Montroll: a wonderful collection of intermediate (and a couple of advanced) models depicting wonderous imaginary creatures, including the pegasus, unicorn, and centaur. In the section on the Chinese Zodiac, Montroll also includes a dog, with his famous and versatile 'dog base'; along with his rooster, which is one of my favorite models.
	Origami Inside-Out by John Montroll: the spotted Holstein cow and the racoon with its striped tail and white muzzle are two of the best models around. The chess table (from one square) and set of chess pieces are also quite amazing.
	Origami to Astonish and Amuse by Jeremy Shafer: A very funny book, with over 400 models, many of which defy categorization. The author has shattered many boundaries with this book, creating some of the most exciting models around, including the transvestite puppet, and the couple having sex (or dancing, as he presents them).
	Prehistoric Origami by John Montroll: some great dinosaur models in the intermediate range. The stegosaurus and triceratops in particular are really beautiful, well designed models. Montroll always takes great pains to find the best folding sequence.

Advanced Books

	Brilliant Origami by David Brill: A very lovely set of models, best wetfolded. Brill's models are just beautiful, such as the family of lions, the elephant, and the rhino. But he also has some funny ones like the exhibitionist (a man opens his coat), and some other fun ones like the eyeglasses, the spelling book, the nut and bolt, and the match box (complete with matches).
No image available	Compilation of Masterworks by Akira Yoshizawa. In Japanese. A large, expensive, and sometimes hard-to-find compendium of models. As with all his works, they inspire, cajole, reveal, and transform you as you fold them. As with any Yoshizawa book, if you find it, get it.
	Origami Design Secrets: Mathematical Methods for an Ancient Art by Robert J. Lang: This is a very advanced book, for serious origami people only. It goes into deep detail about Robert J. Lang's theories of origami invention. At almost 600 pages, it is clear that this book is only the first step into an immense new field.
No image available	Origami Dokuhon 2 (An Origami Primer 2) by Akira Yoshizawa. In Japanese. Along with Sosaku Origami (Creative Origami), two of the best origami books ever written. Yoshizawa delves deeply into the nature of the paper, challenging the reader to leap with him into a world of discovery. The simplicity of his models often hides profound conceptions that force real understanding onto the reader. These books are often hard to find. Get them if you can.
	Origami from Angelfish to Zen by Peter Engel: An amazing book. Aside from anatomically correct models like the squid, octopus, butterfly, and reindeer, this book also has a long introduction in which the author discusses origami invention, history, and deeper significance.
	Origami in Action by Robert J. Lang: Very much in the spirit of Origami to Astonish and Amuse, but a little more toned down, and more focused on action models.
	Origami Insects by Robert J. Lang: A collection of very complicated insects. My favorite is the ant, with its very lovely design and folding sequence; but there are many great models here.
	Origami Sea Life by John Montroll and Robert J. Lang: a collection of advanced models of many sea creatures. Some of my favorites are the barracuda, the blue shark, and the lionfish. Some of the models look like attempts to see how complicated origami can get. Two of these are the blackdevil angler and the atlantic purple sea urchin.
No image available	Paper in Harmony by Marc Kirschenbaum: a fantastic collection of musicians with their instruments, each folded from a single square or a dollar bill. People begged Marc for years to put out this book. It's incredible.

Non-Origami Books

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Japanese Papermaking: Traditions, Tools, and Techniques by Timothy Barrett: this out-of-print book is a very stirring testament to a fading art. As he explains the detailed processes involved in making paper by hand, the author at the same time reveals how much has been forgotten of the art of the old masters. In many areas of human endeavor the progression through history has been clearly forward; in the realm of paper making, the reverse is true. This is a very great, very sad book.

Flip-Flopped: A Novel by Jill Smolinski: A romantic comedy in which part of the story centers around an erotic origami auction and the theft of one of the models.